Songwriter’s new album is a ‘scathing satire’ on modern Britain

Richard Castle’s debut album puts paid to the myth there is nothing to do in sleepy rural market towns – in fact, growing up in the middle of nowhere can be a source of inspiration.

One-horse Town is a 10-track journey through the over-active psyche of a 32-year- old musician still kicking around in the town he grew up in.

Detached from the homogeneous gym-bunnies and plastic surgery-damaged masses of the big city, Castle’s view of the world is a little out of sync with what you see on TV.

And this is reflected in the sound of the record – harping back to the unashamed three-chord tricks of the songwriters of the 1960s and 70s.

The result is a record that is at once honestly introverted, scathingly satirical and tantalisingly tongue-in- cheek.

It pulls no punches when it comes to the banality of modern Britain – and internet trolling, the class system and Brexit are all in the firing line.

Castle says: “Most of the folks I went to school with seem to have jumped on a train to London by now, but I’ve never seen the appeal.

“I think I have an almost Alan Partridge-esque phobia of the place. I’m fully on board with his ‘train to London, stopping at rejection central and shattered dreams parkway’ comment.

“To be honest, I’m happy where I am – my home town in Staffordshire’s blessed with tonnes of character and has provided some inspiration for the songs on the album.

“The lyrics just seemed to flow right out of my head onto the page. The notes and chords were barely even a consideration when I first started the writing process and that’s reflected in the simplicity of the music.